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A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of VR for Bipolar Disorder

A Prospective, Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of VR for Bipolar Disorder

Status
Recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06399523
Enrollment
48
Registered
2024-05-03
Start date
2024-03-04
Completion date
2025-03-04
Last updated
2024-05-03

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Bipolar Disorder, Interventional Study, VR

Brief summary

Bipolar disorder is characterized by high morbidity, recurrence, disability, suicide and comorbidity rate which need novel, efficient, and safe treatment methods, and VR has demonstrate its efficacy in mental disease but not few focus on bipolar disorder. A prospective single center randomize clinical study therefore would be carried on to evaluate the efficacy of VR for Bipolar Disorder in China.

Detailed description

Bipolar disorder (BD) refers to a type of mood disorder that clinically manifests as both manic or hypomanic episodes and depressive episodes. Bipolar disorder is characterized by high morbidity, recurrence, disability, suicide and comorbidity rate. The first episode often occurs before age 20, with a lifetime morbidity rate ranging from 1.5% to 6.4% . Patients with bipolar disorder spend significantly more time experiencing depressive episodes than manic or mixed symptoms throughout their lives. At the same time, depressive episodes can cause severe psycho-social disabilities, imposing a heavy economic burden on their families and society . Despite being the first-line recommended treatment for bipolar depression, pharmacotherapy still cannot fully meet the clinical needs. Some patients do not achieve clinical remission even after receiving adequate and full-course pharmacotherapy. Even if clinical remission is achieved, many patients still have residual symptoms, and those in the maintenance phase still face a high risk of relapse. Psychotherapy has been reported to have various benefits such as improving interpersonal communication skills, enhancing cohesion, and building social support systems, and it has been widely used in the treatment of depression. Although psychological intervention plays a crucial role in the treatment of bipolar depression, its application in reality is still limited. One important reason is the shortage of psychological treatment service resources. The application of virtual reality (VR) technology in the treatment of mental illnesses has overcome the limitations of traditional psychotherapy techniques. It provides a safer, more controllable, and personalized treatment approach, enabling patients to experience environments and events more intuitively and vividly. This study aims to explore the clinical intervention effects of a mental disorder adjuvant treatment software developed by Nanjing XR-Oasis Technology Co., Ltd. on patients with bipolar disorder experiencing depressive episodes. The technology is based on the theoretical frameworks of cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, mental health education, and Naikan therapy, combined with VR technology.

Interventions

Participants this group received additional VR therapy , with a total 20 sessions over a period of 4 weeks based on routine treatment.

DEVICEVR sham

Participants in this group received additional VR sham(health education videos,a total of 20 health education videos over a period of 4 weeks) under virtual reality conditions on the basis of routine treatment.

Sponsors

Nanjing XR-Oasis Technology Co., Ltd.
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Shanghai Mental Health Center
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
13 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* 13 years or older * Meet the diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder - depressive episode in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) * Able to understand the content of the scale * Certain abilities in expressive, reading, and listening * Total score of \>17 on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17) * Inform consent

Exclusion criteria

* Poor physical condition unable to participate in the study * Currently or previously diagnosed with other major mental disorders according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition(DSM-5) * Severe or active physical illnesses that interfere with the study treatment * Suicidal or self-harming ideas (defined as a score of \>3 on item 3 of the Hamilton Depression Scale-17 suicide scale) * Pregnant or lactating women * Participate in other clinical trials within 1 month * Epilepsy or severe eye diseases

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Evolution of Depression1 monthChanges in the total score of HAMD-17 at the end of the study compared to baseline

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Clinical Response2 monthsA reduction of ≥50% in the total score of HAMD-17 compared to baseline; specifically, sustained response is defined as a continuous reduction of ≥50% in the total score of HAMD-17 at the end of the 4th and 8th weeks of treatment compared to baseline
Clinical Remission2 monthsA total score of HAMD-17 ≤7; particularly, complete remission is defined as a total score of HAMD-17 ≤7 at the end of both the 4th and 8th weeks of treatment
Early Response2 weeksA reduction of ≥20% in the total score of HAMD-17 at the end of the 2nd week of treatment compared to baseline
Conversion to mania2 monthsChange of A Young Mania Rating Scale(YMRS) \>13 before and after treatment, and 1 month follow-up
Changes in the Clinical Global Impression Scale2 monthsImprovement (CGI-I) and Severity (CGI-S) scores compared to baseline
Change in biological rhythms2 monthsChange in Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry(BRAIN) Scale before and after treatment, and 1 month follow-up
Change in Quality of life2 monthsChange in quality of life score before and after treatment, and 1 month follow-up
Intervention Acceptability2 monthsAcceptability was assessed by questions, Rate the VR storyline on a scale of 0 to 5. Acceptability was measured with total score of the scale
Adverse Events2 monthsChange of Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale(TESS)before and after treatment, and 1 month follow-up
Changes in Patient Satisfaction Scale2 monthsChanges in patients satisfaction scale before and after treatment, and 1 month follow-up

Countries

China

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026